14 Days Explore Uganda Safari : This is a somewhat long safari taking us from the central through the east, west and southwestern parts of Uganda. It exposes us to thrilling adventures, plenty of wildlife and culture of the locals in Uganda. We shall take part in game drives, boat cruises, gorilla trekking, chimpanzee tracking and golden monkey trekking, cultural experiences with Bakiga, Batooro, and Batwa. We’ll have a chance to spot 4 of the big 5 animals and different primates in Kibale and Bwindi forests.
Highlights of the safari
- Boat cruise to the source of the Nile
- Gorilla trekking
- Chimpanzee tracking
- Sipi falls hike
- Game drive
- Equator experience
Detailed itinerary.
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to hotel in Entebbe or Kampala
Arrive at Entebbe International Airport, go through the immigration process and drive to your booked hotel in Entebbe or Kampala. The driver guide will give you the program for the next day before he leaves.
Day 2: Transfer to Jinja with a stopover at Sezibwa falls and Mabira forest, a visit to Source of R. Nile.
As we transfer to Jinja this morning, we shall visit Sezibwa falls for a nature walk and scenic viewing, Mabira forest too for a nature walk and an optional adventure of zip lining. Proceed with the drive to Jinja, have lunch which will be followed by a boat cruise on the Nile to its source. Later in the evening, return to the resort hotel for dinner and the overnight stay.
Day 3: Transfer to Kapchorwa and hike to Sipi falls
After breakfast at the lodge, we leave Jinja and head to Kapchorwa. Arrive at Discover Sipi offices for a local guide to take us for the hike to the three waterfalls falls in series of 100m, 85m and 75m high. We shall go through coffee plantations where we’ll attain some knowledge on how Arabica coffee is grown in this area.
After the hike, we shall head to our booked lodge/hotel for evening refreshment.
Optional activity at Sipi: Abseiling
Day 4: Transfer to Murchison Falls National Park.
Leave Kapchorwa in the east and head to Northwestern Uganda passing via corner Kamdin. We shall arrive at our lodge in the north of Murchison falls national park in the evening.
Day 5: Game drive and boat cruise
Explore the beauty of Murchison falls national park through these two main activities. The game drive will be conducted in the morning and it takes about 4 hours of full exploration. We expect to meet different antelopes such as Uganda kobs, Waterbucks, and Jackson’s hartebeest plus other mammals including elephants, lions, leopards, buffaloes and hippos. After having lunch at the lodge, we shall go for the afternoon boat cruise. This takes us to the bottom of Murchison falls and is another chance to see more wildlife including hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds.
After the 3 hours launch trip, we shall drive to the top of the falls, witness the strength of the world’s strongest waterfalls and later return to the lodge.
Day 6: Transfer to Kibale national park
We shall transfer from Murchison Falls national park to Kibale, via Hoima. Enjoy the beautiful views of the rift valley escarpment, an en-route lunch and arrive at our booked lodge in Kibale in the evening.
Day 7: Chimpanzee tracking and Bigodi swamp walk.
Wake up to an early morning breakfast and go chimp tracking. The activity starts at Kanyanchu Visitor Centre with a briefing. We shall enter the forest, search for the apes and upon locating them, we’ll spend an hour with the troop and after head back to the starting point. After lunch, we head to Bigodi for a swamp walk. Expect to spot different primates and bird species including the great blue turaco. The walk will take 2-3 hours and thereafter, we return to the lodge.
Day 8: Transfer to Semuliki national park, visit Sempaya hot springs and Amabere Ga’nyina mwiru caves in Fort Portal.
Have a morning breakfast and head to Semuliki national park in the Bundibugyo district. It is a scenic road trip taking us through meandering roads on the foothills of the Rwenzori mountains. We shall take a walk to visit the amazing Sempaya hot springs. About 1.5 hours on the road, and on arrival, we attend a briefing before starting the walk. Animals we are most likely to spot include baboons, Black and white colobus, red-tailed and Dent’s Mona monkeys among others. Visit the female hot springs first, boil some eggs or matooke, and in just not more than 10 minutes, each one will be tasting theirs. After a great story on how the hot springs were formed, we head to the male hot springs for another great experience.
Drive back to Fort portal and visit the Amabere ga’Nyina Mwiru caves, a cultural site that has a great significance about the Bachwezi. The stalactites and stalagmites forming the caves have breast-like structure with a whitish substance dropping from them. The caves are home to the Nyakasura falls. Overnight in Fort Portal or Kibale if the lodge is close to Fort Portal.
Day 9: Crater lakes exploration and transfer to Queen Elizabeth national Park
As we transfer to Queen Elizabeth national park, we go exploring crater lakes Kibale national park. Crater exploration includes a hike that will cover over 3 craters, with a summit rewarding an aerial view of Kibale forest, 3 crater lakes on a straight line, tea estates, and the Rwenzori mountain ranges. This experience can take 3 to 4 hours and will be followed with a transfer to Queen Elizabeth national Park .
Arrive at the park and enjoy endless views of the savannah vegetation and as we go for an evening game drive, we have chances to see the residents including elephants, buffaloes, Uganda kobs and warthogs among others. After the short evening game drive, we drive to our booked lodge for dinner and the overnight stay.
Day 10: Morning game drive and afternoon boat cruise
A morning game drive in Kasenyi plains to look out for more wild animals. The game drive offers opportunities to see lions, leopards, hyenas in addition to grazers. It ends at around 10:30, return to the lodge, freshen up, have lunch and drive to Mweya for the afternoon boat cruise. During the 2 hours launch cruise on Kazinga channel, expect to see lots of water birds, hippos, crocodiles and elephants among others. Then head back to the lodge.
Day 11: Transfer from Queen Elizabeth national park to Bwindi
Wake up, have a leisurely breakfast and set off to Bwindi via Ishasha. We shall have a short exploration of the plains of Ishasha, to look out for tree-climbing lions and later proceed with the journey. Arrive at the lodge in Bwindi in the late afternoon or evening.
Day 12: Gorilla trekking and transfer to Lake Bunyonyi
We head to sector offices for briefing about gorilla trekking just before we enter the forest to trek. The briefing exercise will cover the rules and regulations to follow while in the forest and among others are to not feed wild animals, keep a distance of at least 8m from the gorillas, do not litter and do not make noise.
Trekking will take about 3 to 5 hours depending on the location of the gorillas. We could spot them playing, feeding, breastfeed their young ones among others. We trek back to the offices, pick our trekking certificates and drive to Lake Bunyonyi.
Day 13: Full day around Lake Bunyonyi.
This 13th day of our safari will be spent exploring Lake Bunyonyi and relaxing at one of the resorts besides it. A boat cruise in the morning, reach close to some Islands and return to the lodge for lunch. Then spend the rest of the day relaxing, whoever is brave enough to swim in the lake is free, as it is declared safe.
Day 14: Transfer back to Kampala with a stopover at the Uganda equator.
Wake up on a leisure breakfast, check out and transfer to Kampala. We’ll have a stopover at the Uganda equator and spend a good time while taking a snack, photography and perhaps buying some souvenirs. Arrival in Entebbe in the evening, drop off at the airport and catch your flight back home.
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